Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi
by Youindia
Summary: Both Ranma and Zelda fans will enjoy this.
1. Enter Hero, Stage Left

Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi  
  
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi/Zelda no Densetsu/Pokémon crossover by Chesu.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. Except for the guy with the pigtail. Yeah, you know the one. No, no, the other one. Yeah. That one.  
  
Chapter One: Of Trees and Womens Underwear  
  
Part I: Enter Hero, Stage Left  
  
One quiet, beautiful Nerima morning- "Oh, what a haul, what a haul! Come, my silky darlings, let us leave these mean streets behind us!"  
  
...One beautiful Nerima morning- "Get back here, ya freak of nature!" Ranma shouted as he dashed down the street, chasing the miniscule figure of Master Happosai, who was carrying a not-so-miniscule green sack on his shoulders.  
  
"What's that, Ranma m'boy? You want some of what I collected today? Well, I'm not a greedy man, and you've been working extra hard lately, so..." Happosai reached into the sack and pulled out a handful of women's underwear, which he then threw in the general direction of Ranma's face. He lept onto a nearby building and, with a wave, bounded away.  
  
Ranma reeled backwards as the panties flew at him, seeing them coming in slow motion. Just as Happosai disappeared, Akane rouded the corner, chatting with her school friends Yuka and Sayuri. She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Ranma, draped in lingere.  
  
"Raaaaannnmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaa...." Ranma's eyes went wide and he waved his hands in front of him, stuttering and stammering.  
  
"I-no-Akane-old goat-isn't-bad timing-please don't kill me?" The last part came out as a squeaky whimper as his throat constricted and bailed on him. Akane scowled as she plucked a pair of blue panties off of his head and stared down at them.  
  
"Ranma? What, exactly, are you doing with my underwear?"  
  
Happosai was suddenly standing on Akane's shoulder, cradling the panties as if they were a child. "I'm so sorry, my darling, I hadn't realized that you were so precious. if I had known, I would never have let that bully Ranma take you."  
  
Akane sent him flying into LEO with a single punch and a bit of advice for the road. "DRY UP AND DIE!!" Her arm fell limp as she turned back to Ranma, head lowered and eyes hidden by her dark hair.  
  
"It seems that you've finally shown your true colors, Ranma." She took a step closer to him, eyes still hidden.  
  
"No, Akane, I- that is, the old freak was-"  
  
"Enough! Enough excuses!" Akane snapped, looking up at Ranma with eyes that gleamed of forming tears. "I've heard enough excuses from you! It's about time you fessed up to all that you've done." She pulled out the biggest mallet Ranma had ever seen, even bigger than the ping-pong paddle she had held when under the influence of the Super Soba.  
  
"Ranma, you jerk, it's time for you to pay!" She brought the massive mallet down on his head, driving him into the ground and creating a gigantic impact crater, a small black pigtail sticking out. She then slung the mallet over her shoulder and slowly walked away, Yuka and Sayuri close behind, determined not to leave their friend alone in her current condition.  
  
~Ranma felt numb. His body felt slow and stiff, as if he was trying to move around in molasses, or some other viscous substance. A low rumbling echoed through the sky, which was dark and stormy. He sluggishly settled into a defenseive stance, his danger sense tingling. There was an ear-splitting boom of thunder, followed by a blinding flash of lightning, with a sudden downpour of rain, to boot. Apprehensive and female, Ranma turned to a figure which seemed to have materialized on the spot. It was Pantyhose Taro in his human form, wearing his rustically unusual Chinese clothes. He wasn't alone, either- by his side was a huge, tan-colored cat, which had a gleaming red gem set into it's forehead. It raised one thick paw, three inch long claws extended. "Hyper Beam Attack!" Taro shouted, the feline's head gem beginning to glow in response. Ranma let out a piercing scream as she fell backwards and into oblivion.~  
  
~Glossary~  
  
LEO- Lower Earth Orbit.  
  
Super Soba- Strength enhancing noodles Akane accidently ate, which gave her superhuman powers (and some rather fetching whiskers) for a day.  
  
=Author's notes=  
  
Sorry that it's all bunched together and stuff....my word processor hates me or something. How is Legend of Zelda involved, you ask? Well, when you look closely and spend a few hours cross-examining, you'll find it. Or maybe you'll just think that you've found it because you're sleep deprived. Either way, you'll be satisfied, right? Make sure to tune in next time for Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi.  
  
-Preview of next session-  
  
"C'mon, Kuno, let me pass! If I'm gonna figure out what the heck is going on here, I hafta go see this Deku guy! I'm not really in the mood, but I'll fight ya if ya don't move outta my way!" Kuno shifted his weight and leaned on his bokken, smirking at Ranma. "As much as I'd enjoy fighting you, Saotome, you still can't pass without proper protection. The Great Deku Tree ordered me to block the passage of anyone who didn't have a Pokémon, no exceptions."  
  
Part II: Enter Tyrogue, Stage Right 


	2. Enter Tyrogue, Stage Right

Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi  
  
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi/Zelda no Densetsu/Pokémon crossover by Chesu.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. Except for the guy with the pigtail. Yeah, you know the one. No, no, the other one. Yeah. That one.  
  
Chapter One: Of Trees and Womens Underwear  
  
Part II: Enter Tyrogue, Stage Right  
  
-Kokiri Forest, Hyrule  
  
"Hey! Wake up! Hey, Ranma!"  
  
Nabiki rested her hands on her hips, frowning. "RANMA!"  
  
Ranma didn't move or give a sign that he had heard her, but continued to snore away.  
  
"Can the fate of the world really depend on such a lazy boy?" Nabiki fluttered down and landed on his nose, cocking her fist back.  
  
"WAKE UP, STUPID!" She drove her fist right between his eyes with a satisfying little fleshy sound.  
  
"..and still nothing!" Nabiki sat down, frowning.  
  
"Why..won't you..wake up?" She went to his ear with a flick of her wings, landing on the lobe.  
  
"Okay then, time for hardball. RANMA, WAKE UP! IT'S TIME TO GET OUT OF BED!" Ranma turned over, opening and closing his mouth a few times, but didn't seem to be waking up.  
  
"Okay, that's it." Nabiki took her tiny ray gun from it's holster, scowling at the prone form of the boy. Taking careful aim at the ear lobe she was standing on, she leaned closer to the hole in the side of ranma's head.  
  
"You asked for it, sleeping beauty." She squeezed the trigger, sending the tiny blue beam into the soft flesh. It burned a pinhole in the tissue, with a bit of burning skin smell. She expect him to leap out of bed, screaming in pain. She obviously didn't know Ranma too well.  
  
"What the hell?! How can he sleep through that?" She tucked away her weapon, numb. "Is he even alive? Maybe he's in a coma.. Ah, forget it. I'll go ask the Great Deku Tree for some caffeine pills or something after breakfast."  
  
Ranma sat up with a start, looking around wildly. "Breakfast! Where's the breakfast?" Here he paused, looking around. "What the... Where am I?"  
  
Nabiki fluttered between his eyes, examining her nails. "Yeah, hey. I'm Nabiki. The Great Deku Tree sent me to bring you to him, or something like that."  
  
Ranma looked down his nose at her. "Nabiki? Why're ya so small? And why d'you have wings?"  
  
Nabiki slapped her forehead, closing hers eyes in frustration. "I'm a fairy, you moron. Now let's go, we're in a hurry." She flew to the door and out, muttering to herself.  
  
"...Fairy?" Ranma followed her, noting that he seemed to have been sleeping in a small wooden room. He shielded his eyes from the sunlight as he stepped through the curtain, and gasped when he saw where he was.  
  
It was a huge clearing in the middle of a forest, and as Ranma looked out into the trees, all he saw was more trees. The few trees that seemed to have been growing in the clearing had been chopped down, and the trunks hollowed out to make homes. The sprigs sprouting from the tops of most of the 'tree houses' were evidence that even though they had been cut down, they still lived.  
  
"Yahoo! Hi, Ran-chan!"  
  
Ranma hopped over the tiny fence around the balcony he was on and to the ground, turning to greet whoever it was that had been bouncing down the path.  
  
"Ucchan! Man, it's good to see something...normal.." Ranma's brow furrowed. Was it his imagination, or did Ukyo's hair have a green tinge?  
  
Ukyo giggled, then noticed the miniture girl sitting on his shoulder. "Wow! A fairy!! Fianlly, a fairy came to you, Ranma! Wow! That's great news! I'm so happy for you! Now you're a true Kokiri, sugar!"  
  
Nabiki massaged her temples, eyes squeezed shut. "Ukyo, Ranma's been summoned by the Great Deku Tree. We're kind of in a hurry."  
  
Ukyo's eyes went wide, and she took a step back. "The Great Deku Tree summoned Ranma? That's terrific news! Go, hurry, if you're late he might get grumpy and eat you!"  
  
Ranma suddenly didn't seem too eager to go, but Nabiki tugged him along, defying physics with her fairy magic. Before long, they came to a tunnel being blocked by a young man in a what seemed to be a short, green kendo outfit. "Halt! No knaves allowed!"  
  
"Kuno?" Ranma took a step forward. "What're you doing here?"  
  
Kuno stood strait, obviously trying to make himself look better than Ranma. "I have to guard the entrance to the Deku Tree's meadow."  
  
"C'mon, Kuno, let me pass! If I'm gonna figure out what the heck is going on here, I hafta go see this Deku guy! I'm not really in the mood, but I'll fight ya if ya don't move outta my way!"  
  
Kuno shifted his weight and leaned on his bokken, smirking at Ranma. "As much as I'd enjoy fighting you, Saotome, you still can't pass without proper protection. The Great Deku Tree ordered me to block the passage of anyone who didn't have a Pokémon, no exceptions."  
  
Nabiki slapped her forehead. "How could I forget? Ranma, we have to get you a Pokémon. Let's go." She tugged him in the direction of the Forest Training Center.  
  
"What's a Pokémon? Where're ya taking me to?"  
  
Nabiki stopped and pointed at a small fenced-in area. "We're here. Just crawl through a tiny hole in the wall ahead."  
  
Ranma jumped and fence and approached the hole. It was at ground level, abount two feet in diameter. "No problem!" He flopped down and wriggled through like a snake.  
  
Nabiki joined him on the other side and came to rest on his shoulder. "It's said that whoever can pass the trial of Zé Hole will be granted a powerful Pokémon."  
  
"Oh yeah? And what's this trial stuff all about?"  
  
"Well, I'm not certain. Let's go see." Nabiki rode on Ranma's shoulder as he moved through the narrow passages, filing her nails. Ranma stopped abruptly, causing her to scrape her wrist.  
  
"Hey! What's the big idea!"  
  
Ranma pointed ahead, where large, brightly colored objetcs whizzed back and fourth.  
  
Nabiki flew to a heap of something green on the floor. There was a piece of parchment next to it, which she picked up. "It says 'deposit Frog Suit in basket at other side of road'. Frog Suit?"  
  
Ranma picked up the green heap, which folded out to reveal that it was, in fact, a green rubber frog suit. Nabiki frowned, poking at the rubber. "Hey, this is fro Mario III, not Zelda..."  
  
Ranma blinked and looked down at her. "Huh?"  
  
"Nothing! Nothing, forget what I said! Say, is this thing heavy?"  
  
Ranma bunched it up in his arms, holding it to his chest. "No, but if I'm holding it, I can't see where I'm going!"  
  
"I guess you'll have to wear it, then."  
  
Ranma hung his head and folded out the suit. "I don't even know why I'm doing this..."  
  
-Three minutes later  
  
Ranma flexed his biceps, grinning. "This thing's pretty cool. It feels all springy! I just won't put the mask part on, won't be able to see."  
  
Nabiki crossed her arms, looking him over. "Looks good from where I'm floating. Ahem. Now, you need to get across this thing." She pointed over her shoulder at the speeding objects. "I'll watch from above to make sure you don't get squashed."  
  
As Nabiki flew to the ceiling, she noted that from above, Ranma really did look like a frog.  
  
Ranma leapt forward, landing between two of the things, before springing off again. It was difficult, but he quickly got used to moving in the frog suit.  
  
"Ranma! Look out!" Nabiki screamed, watching as Ranma was nearly crushed by an object right before he reached the other side.  
  
Ranma came out of his springing roll, panting. That thing had nearly killed him! He took off the Frog Suit as Nabiki came down.  
  
"Okay, now put it in that basket over there." She said, pointing down the hallway. Ranma walked down the to the green basket, which was labled 'Mamu', and dropped the frog suit in. As he did so, a red light shone on a pedestal, and a booming voice echoed through the room.  
  
"Thank you! Now I have my costume for the concert! As a reward, you get one of the three Pokémon before you!" The green basket shimmered and vanished, and the red light faded.  
  
Ranma approached the pedestal, which had three red and white balls on it. On the wall behind each of the balls was a small poster, obviously describing the Pokémon. Ranma leaned closer to read them.  
  
"Larvitar. Rock Skin Pokémon. Rock-type." He looked at the squat green creature pictured on the poster before turning to the next. "Natu. Little Bird Pokémon. Psychic and Flying-types." The bird on the poster appeared to be a ball with wings and beak attached. His eyes lit to the next poster. It showed a creature that looked rather like a skinny boy with a strange skin color. "Tyrogue. Scuffle Pokémon. Fighting type."  
  
Ranma looked down at the ball before him, then hesitantly picked it up. "I, uh, I guess I choose Tyrogue..."  
  
=Author's notes= Fixed the Frogger scene. You're all getting the general idea of what's going on now, right? It's the Zelda universe, with Ranma characters, and...Pokémon. Heh. The reason I involved Pokémon is because I couldn't think of a way for Ranma to fight the bosses. He would beat them too easily. I had to think of a battle system that would keep him from using his own strength. That, and it's way easier to make Pokémon fight. Send questions/comments to Youindia@aol.com. Flames should be posted in the review, that way people will read the bad review, then read the story for themselves, and feel sorry for all the people being mean to me. Mmmmm, delicious sympathy. Oh, and if you're going to put a flame in my inbox, lable it 'flame' or 'free viagra' so I'll know to delete it. Make sure to tune in next time for Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi. 


	3. What the Shiatsu?

Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi  
  
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi/Zelda no Densetsu/Pokémon crossover by Chesu.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. Except for the guy with the pigtail. Yeah, you know the one. No, no, the other one. Yeah. That one.  
  
Chapter One: Of Trees and Womens Underwear  
  
Part III: What the Shiatsu?  
  
Nerima District-  
  
Dr. Tofu examined the cracked brown scroll in his hands, talking to the skeleton riding on his back as he did.  
  
"This is just what we've been looking for, Betty, and not a second too soon, with Mother coming to town. This scroll holds the secrets of the bi zhou tan ran Shiatsu Point." He paused, looking to the sky. "Kasumi..."  
  
The doctor resumed walking down the sidewalk, looking intently at the sealed scroll, as if it would tell him what was written in it if he did so for long enough. "If I use this technique on myself, I will be able to keep my grip when I'm around...her.."  
  
He absently turned a corner, his body automatically taking him home. "The bi zhou tan ran...ma? Ranma?"  
  
Dr. Tofu focused on the black pigtail sticking out of what looked like a pile of rubble. "Ranma? Is that you?" He got a grip on the pigtail and pulled Ranma out of the ground, dirt and shredded lingere falling away.  
  
"Ranma, what are you doing in a place like this?" After checking for a pulse, the doctor tucked the scroll into his gi and hefted the unconscious boy onto his shoulder. "Looks like you got it pretty bad, Ranma. Your pulse is a bit weak, but don't worry, I'll have you back in tip-top shape in no time!"  
  
Dr. Tofu continued on his way back to the his chairopractic clinic, humming under the weight of Ranma and Betty.  
  
***  
  
Kokiri Forest-  
  
"C'mon, Kuno, let me through!" Ranma held out the Poké Ball containing Tyrogue.  
  
Kuno pointed his bokken at Ranma's chest, eyebrows lowered. "So, Saotome, you have a Pokémon of your own? Then, you wouldn't mind a little...BATTLE?!" Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as he said this, then vanished just as quickly.  
  
Ranma settled into a fighting stance, smiling. "Okay, Kuno, but ya know ya won't win!"  
  
"What is this? I have no wish for meet fists with you, Saotome, but for us to test our skills as Pokémon trainers!"  
  
Upon seeing Ranma's blank stare, Nabiki flew up to his ear. "He wants your Pokémon to fight his. Hold out the ball and will Tyrogue to come out."  
  
"Uh..Tyrogue, I summon you! ..or something!" Ranma shouted, holding out his Poké Ball. The ball expanded to about three times its size and a red beam shot out. The light coalesced into a glowing red creature, then faded. Tyrogue stood up, flexing his purple/pink wrists.  
  
Kuno held out his own ball, which was black and yellow. "Scyther! I choose you!"  
  
"What's that, Kuno? You used an Ultra Ball to catch a Scyther?" Nabiki asked, reaading a tiny magazine on Ranma's shoulder.  
  
"Enough, fairy! This is no concern of yours!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, you probably couldn't afford an Ultra Ball."  
  
Ranma took a step forward, fist clenched. "Come on already! Let's do this while we're young, huh?!"  
  
Kuno nodded and pointed his bokken at Ranma once again. "Fine! Let us begin the battle that will be the end of you! Scyther, Fury Cutter!"  
  
-Glossary-  
  
Bi zhou tan ran- Lost Shiatsu point in which an herbal mixture is rubbed against the elbow, calming nerves and bringing tranquility of mind.  
  
Bokken- A wooden sword used for Kendo.  
  
Shiatsu- The Chinese art of Accupressure. Applying pressure and/or herbs to certain areas of the body will affect other certain areas.  
  
~Preview of next session~  
  
"No, Tyrogue, I said Double Kick! C'mon, help me out here! If ya don't, he'll kill you!"  
  
Scyther quickly closed the distance between them and brought his arm down, ready to slice the Tyrogue in half. "You're done, Saotome! Victory is mine!" 


	4. Nabiki, I Choose You!

Akane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchi  
  
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi/Zelda no Densetsu/Pokémon crossover by Chesu.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. Except for the guy with the pigtail. Yeah, you know the one. No, no, the other one. Yeah. That one.  
  
Chapter One: Of Trees and Womens Underwear  
  
Part IV: Nabiki, I Choose You!  
  
Ocala, Florida-  
  
Chesu leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. It was 12:24 a.m., and he was still sitting at his computer, while he should have been resting. He was twitchy and cast a paranoid glance over his shoulder every few minutes, but that wasn't unusual. Not for him, anyway.  
  
"Hehe..Plaguing. What a weird word. Kodachi! Dustox to the Queen...it'll work!" He bent over the keyboard, once again lost in the world he was weaving. His fingers a blur, he spoke as he typed. "Nerima, Japan. Doctor Tofu picked up..."  
  
------  
  
Dr. Tofu picked up the telephone in his office, uncertainty plaguing him. A glance at Ranma's still form made up his mind. He dialed the number to the Tendo Dojo and waited for an answer.  
  
'"Tendo residence, Nabiki speaking."'  
  
"Ah, Nabiki! This is Dr. Tofu. I have some news, some news...regarding Ranma. Maybe you should all come down here."  
  
------  
  
Kokiri Forest-  
  
"No, Tyrogue, I said Double Kick! C'mon, help me out here! If ya don't, he'll kill you!"  
  
Ranma struggled in vain to get the child-like creature to obey. Why wasn't it doing as he said? Nabiki had told him what to do, but it wasn't working.  
  
Scyther quickly closed the distance between them and brought his arm down, ready to slice the Tyrogue in half. "You're done, Saotome! Victory is mine!"  
  
"Tyrogue, dodge and use Tackle!" To Ranma's surprise, it actually obeyed.  
  
As Scyther's arms were crossing like a pair of scissors, ready to cut their target in two, Tyrogue lept strait into the air before coming crashing back down on the mantis-like Pokémon.  
  
"Scyther! Use Protect!" Scyther remained motionless, sprawled out in the grass.  
  
"Well, looks like you've been beaten, Kuno-chan. I think that we'll just go to see the Deku Tree now." Nabiki pointed down the path behind Kuno, finishing off the tiny bag of popcorn she had been eating.  
  
"Uh, but, what about him?" Ranma asked, pointing at the flexing Tyrogue.  
  
Nabiki rubbed her forehead, looking tired. "Hold out the ball and say 'return'."  
  
Ranma looked uncertainly between the PokéBall and Tyrogue. "Tyrogue, return!" A narrow beam of red light lashed out and caught Tyrogue, pulling him into the ball. "...Now what?"  
  
"Now you put it on your belt, idiot!" Nabiki was beginning to feel worn-out and irritable.  
  
Ranma attached the ball to the strange belt he was wearing with a click. It was now that Ranma noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual red Chinese shirt and loose black pants, but a long green shirt and white pants.  
  
"What the..."  
  
"Ranma! Forget about your vanity and get over here!" Nabiki screamed, eyes bloodshot. Working with this guy was way too stressful. She was glad that all she had to do was take him to the Great Deku Tree.  
  
"So, what's this Deku guy like?" Ranma stepped over Kuno, who was spraying his Scyther with a blue squirt bottle.  
  
Nabiki landed on his shoulder and took out an agenda book. "Well, he's tall. And old. Very old. Old-fashioned, too."  
  
Ranma leapt backwards as something burst from the ground, snapping at his foot. "ACK! What's that thing?!"  
  
Nabiki stifled a yawn. "It's a Bellsprout. Don't worry, they're harmless, just move around them."  
  
"Yeah, okay.." Ranma gingerly walked forward, avoiding the yellow plants as they popped up. After only a few minutes, he stepped into a clearing. "Holy!"  
  
Ranma's eyes widened as he saw the tree. It was easily over eighty feet tall, and at least half that around. It's foliage hung over the entire clearing, sunlight coming down only through the few gaps in the branches.  
  
"Great Deku Tree, I'm back!" Nabiki called out, waving her arms from her position on Ranma's shoulder.  
  
"Oh... Navi... Thou hast returned. Ranma... Welcome..."  
  
Ranma put fists to his mouth, eyes as wide as tea plates. "The tree. It talked. The tree talked..."  
  
"Ranma, don't be such a baby! It's just the Great Deku tree!"  
  
"Listen carefully to what I, the Deku tree, am about to tell thee..."  
  
Nabiki stood at attention. "Yes, Great Deku Tree?"  
  
"...in pantomime..."  
  
Nabiki facefaulted from Ranma's shoulder. "Great Deku Tree, we don't have time for that! Besides, you don't have arms!"  
  
"Very well. Ranma, thou hast been cast into Hyrule in a time of impending darkness... canst thou not feel it? I have been bcursed/b... I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"  
  
Ranma stared blankly at the Deku Tree, then looked to Nabiki, how had fluttered back to his shoulder. "What'd he just say?"  
  
"He said, 'If you're the wuss-boy I think you are, turn around and leave'."  
  
"No! I mean, Great Deku Tree, I'll do it!"  
  
A mouth-like hole slowly opened in the Deku Tree's trunk. "Then enter, brave Ranma, and thou too, Nabiki... Nabiki the fairy... Thou must aid Ranma..."  
  
"WHAT?! NO WAY! You told me to bring him to you!"  
  
"THOU MUST AID RANMA!"  
  
Nabiki shrank back, terrified. "Yessir. Well, iRanma/i, let's go.... Man, this ican't/i be sanitary..."  
  
Ranma confidently strode forward, darkness closing around him as he stepped into the maw of the Great Deku Tree.  
  
=Author's note= Getting close. With Part V, the first chapter will be finished. What awaits Ranma inside the Great Deku Tree? Will he live to tell about it? Find out on Friday in the special Halloween edition! R&R, C&C appreciated. A&W VERY appreciated. (Chesu-October 28, 2003) 


	5. Fate in a Nutshell

bAkane no Densetsu: Toki no Saidzuchib  
  
A Ranma Nibun no Ichi/Zelda no Densetsu/Pokémon crossover by Chesu.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters in this story. Except for the guy with the pigtail. Yeah, you know the one. No, no, the other one. Yeah. That one.  
  
bChapter One: Of Trees and Womens Underwearb  
  
bPart V: Fate in a Nutshellb  
  
Inside of Deku Tree-  
  
Ranma looked around the circular room, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He wasn't sure what he had expected so see, but it certainly wasn't a room of hollowed wood. Which was what he iwas/i seeing.  
  
"So, uh, what now?"  
  
Nabiki pointed at a section of wall, which was covered in vines. "We go up?"  
  
Ranma shrugged and approached the vines, but then stopped in mid-step. "Hey! Ya smell that?"  
  
"Smell what?" Nabiki sniffed at the air, but all she got was a earthy, musty smell.  
  
"Cookies! I smell cookies!"  
  
"...Cookies. You're inside a giant, five thousand-year-old tree, on a mission to relieve a curse, and you smell cookies?"  
  
"Yeah! Smells great!" Ranma sniffed his was to the center of the room, the floor of which was white and glossy. "It's..comin' from under us!"  
  
Nabiki leaned forward for a better view. "You're saying that we're standing on a big white cookie?"  
  
"Dunno." Ranma bent over and cleared away dried leaves and dirt that covered the white section of floor, revealing it to be about the size of a Jacuzzi. "How'd all these leaves get in here?"  
  
"Don't look at m-"  
  
"TREE!"  
  
"Don't look at tree?" Ranma craned his neck to look at Nabiki without making her fall off.  
  
"Tree Shiftree!"  
  
Ranma spun on his heels and fell into a defensive stance, but almost tripped as he saw that had been coming up on him.  
  
It was about four feet tall, with a long ears and a pointed nose. It had a long mane of white hair, which not only dragged behind it, but seemed to cover it's face. The strange part was that it seemed to have trecking sandals for feet, and tree branches for arms. It growled and took another step towards them.  
  
"It's a Shiftry! And it doesn't look very happy!" She smacked Ranma's ear. "Let's MOVE!"  
  
Ranma complied by mumbling incoherently and stumbling backwards.  
  
"Ranma...Ranma, look! This white stuff..it's Shiftry hair! This thing's building a nest!"  
  
Ranma glanced between the nest and the Shiftry, which seemed to be flexing it's muscles beneath it's wooden skin. As the Shiftrty continued to advence, he continued to back away.  
  
"Ranma! The vines! Climb up the vines!"  
  
Ranma looked over his shoulder and saw that he was backing towards a section of wall covered in vines. These didn't look quite as thick as the ones on the other side of the room, past the Shiftry, but he didn't have any other choice.  
  
"On three" Ranma backed up to the wall and got a hold on the vines with his right hand.  
  
"THREE!" Nabiki fluttered to a high-up vine, knowing that she couldn't help Ranma from his own shoulder. She couldn't really help him from her current position, either, but at least she was safer.  
  
Ranma turned around and scrambled up the vines, the Shiftry becoming enraged and charging him as he climbed.  
  
"HAH! How d'ya like that, tree-monster?" Ranma let go with one hand to pull down on the skin beneath his eye and stick his tongue out at the Shiftry.  
  
Nabiki closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Ranma..." Nabiki's eyes popped open as she heard a tiny snapping sound. "What the.."  
  
The Shiftry's long ears twitched, and it raised it's head. Then, abruptly, it took off in the opposite direction.  
  
"..huh. Wonder what that's about."  
  
"RANMA!" Nabiki practically screamed, a groan rising from the wall behind them. With a few tiny snapping sounds and a low groan, the vines in Ranma's left hand, which had been supporting his full weight, gave way. Nabiki watched helplessly as he fell into the Shiftry's nest, then through it.  
  
------  
  
Nerima District-  
  
"Comatose? What do you mean, Comatose?"  
  
Dr. Tofu cleaned his glasses, shifting uncomfortably. Everyone at the Tendo Dojo had rushed down to the corner clinic immediately after his phone call. Everyone, that is, but Akane.  
  
"I'm not quite sure what happened. I was on my way home from a colleagues when I found Ranma, half buried. He apparently got hit pretty hard, and the trauma from it has... Has put him in a coma."  
  
------  
  
Inside of Deku Tree-  
  
"Ranma? Are you okay?" Nabiki drifted down the hole Ranma had fallen through, squinting in the darkness. "Ranma?"  
  
"I'm good! But it's dark in here, need a light."  
  
Nabiki paused, scanning the dark hole. That voice didn't sound like Ranma's. It didn't even sound male. "Ranma? What happened?"  
  
"Not much, just fell in some water! Come on, it's dark down here!"  
  
Nabiki frowned and continued her descent. The voice was definately female, but had the same voice qualities as Ranma. She really didn't know what was going on down there, but she knew that she didn't like it.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to give you some light!" Nabiki concentrated, willing the energy she had been holding back to flow out. She registered a warm feeling in her chest, and suddenly felt herself enveloped in the glow of fairy light.  
  
Ranma continued to stare in the direction that Nabiki's voice had come from. After almost a minute, a glowing ball was lowered through the vertical tunnel, casting light about the room.  
  
"Nabiki? What's this thing?"  
  
"You asked for light, didn't you?"  
  
Ranma jumped back, staring at her as if a star had fallen from the sky and wanted to be friends. "Na..Nabiki? That you?"  
  
Nakibi rolled her eyes, flying over and landing on her shoulder. "No, it's the king of Hyrule. You'd think that the kid had never seen a fairy before. Now, tell me, why are you a little girl?"  
  
"...huh? Oh, you mean the curse." Ranma considered for a few seconds. The people of this world apparently didn't know about his curse. Since he was leaving after he got rid of the Deku Tree's own curse, it wouldn't hurt to tell her. "Well, y'see, when I get splashed with cold water, I turn into..well, you're lookin' at it. And when I get splashed with hot water, I turn back to a guy."  
  
Nabiki thought about this as Ranma continued to explore the room. If she hadn't been planning on getting as far away from him as possible once they cured the Great Deku Tree, she could have turned a huge profit putting him on display.  
  
"Hey! It's a door!"  
  
Nabiki looked down Ranma's arm to the her hand, which was pressed against what was unmistakably a wooden door. "Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to open it?"  
  
"Open it, I guess..." Ranma turned the brass doorknob, which was what had caught her attention to begin with.  
  
Sasuke looked up from the magazine he was reading and stared. After a beat, he jumped up and hid the magazine behind his back. "You may not pass!"  
  
Ranma blinked a few times. "Sasuke? Is that you?"  
  
Now it was Sasuke's turn to blink. "Eh..do I know you?"  
  
"It's me, Ra-"  
  
Nabiki elbowed her neck and hissed in her ear. "Ranma, he doesn't recognize you! You're a girl!"  
  
"Oh...eh heh.... No, you don't know me. I'm a mighty martial artist who's here to get rid of a curse!"  
  
"Oh, you're here to challenge the Queen, are you? Very well, but you must get past me first!"  
  
"Okay! Let's do this!" Ranma cracked her knuckles.  
  
Sasuke pulled out three halves of some sort of nut and set them on a low table. "It is very simple! I will put this-" He held up a what looked like a golden seed. "-under one of the nut shells. I will then move them around very quickly, and once I've stopped, you must quess which shell it is under!"  
  
Ranma stared, dumbfounded. "Uh..you're putting all this on one shell game?"  
  
"Indeed!" Sasuke wiped a bit of saliva from his mouse-like bucked teeth.  
  
"What if I lose?"  
  
"Then I will attack you with my Skitty!"  
  
"Sk-kitty? Uh, uh..yeah, let's do this!"  
  
Sasuke set the Deku Seed on the table, then placed one of the nut shell halves on it. After lining them up, he began to move them as if he was braiding, going faster every few seconds. Ranma's eye twitched, annoyed with trying to follow the nut that hid the seed. Unable to take it anymore, Ranma squeezed her eyes closed.When she opened them, the three nut shell halves were lined up, and she had no idea which was which.  
  
Nabiki tightened her grip on her forehead. Ranma had closed her eyes, and Nabiki had lost track. There was no way Ranma would make the right choice now.  
  
Ranma held her hand over the shell on the right, doubt in her eyes. "Um...I choose..." Her hand twitched, then moved to the one on the left. "It's under this one!" She confidently picked up the nut shell, revealing the shining seed.  
  
Sasuke jaw dropped. "I don't believe it, you picked the right one. Oh my...Well, I did my best, the door is over there." He gestured behind him before hurriedly walking for the door Ranma had come through minutes before.  
  
"Uh.. hey, where're you going?"  
  
"I've been locked in this room for over a week! Master Kuno is bound to be furious!"  
  
Ranma scratched her head as she watched Sasuke's awkward exit. "Oooookay.... Hey, Sasuke, forgot his hat!" She picked up the floppy green hat, and tucked it into her belt.  
  
"Well? Are we going through the door or not?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go. The sooner we end this curse the sooner we're out of here." Ranma strode to the door, but before she could touch it, it opened on it's own. There was an uncertain pause, then Ranma walked slowly through the door, which snapped shut behind her.  
  
Nabiki jumped off of Ranma's shoulder and hovered in the air. "What was that?"  
  
Ranma hand suddenly lashed out, snatching something out of the air. She raised her fist for Nabiki to see. "A ribbon. And where there's ribbons, there's..."  
  
Bright spotlights flashed on, blinding both Ranma and Nabiki. "Oh-ho-ho-ho- ho-ho! Welcome, darling, to my lair!" She half-turned from where she was hanging on the ceiling, her eyes shining.  
  
"I am..." Kodachi swung from her perch, did a somersault in mid-air, and gracefully landed with a whirl of black rose petals. "Kodachi, the Black Rose of Hyrule."  
  
"Figures. So, Kodachi, what're ya doin' to the Deku tree?"  
  
"I am doing as I was told, you little hussy. Now, do you want to battle, you are you too afraid?" As the bright spotlights turned off, Kodachi held up her hand, two Poké Balls between her fingers.  
  
"Uh..Right!" Ranma pulled the single ball from her belt. "Tyrogue!"  
  
"Hahahaha! Is that what you've chosen? Very well. I will not even have to use Midorikame, my prized Feraligatr." She tucked one of the balls into some hidden part of her black leotard. "Gekidoku! I choose you!"  
  
'Gekidoku' appeared from within the light, flapping it's large wings. It was nearly four feet long, with a purple body and green wings. Yellow antennae quivered as it landed before Tyrogue, wings barely moving as it hovered.  
  
"A Dustox?" Nabiki scratched her cheek, watching it move up and down. "Wait a minute, those can learn Psychic techniques! Ranma, be careful!"  
  
"If you are quite ready, prepare to eat my dust!"  
  
"Tyrogue, Double Kick!" Tyrogue looked uncertain, but kicked out anyway.  
  
"Doku! Poison Powder!" Doku spread her wings and flapped hard, sending a misting of purple powder at Tyrogue. Tyrogue, who was unsteadily kicking out, tripped into the cloud and began to cough.  
  
"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! I seems that your Pokémon doesn't know how to properly use Double Kick!"  
  
"Tyrogue! Get out of there!"  
  
Tyrogue stumbled out of the fading purple cloud, coughing and gasping for air. He looked a bit off-color, but after a few seconds straitened up.  
  
"Tyrogue, Tackle her!" Tyrogue cracked the knuckles of it's oddly-shaped hands, then leapt forward, throwing his body at Doku, who hovered a foot higher and avoided the attack.  
  
"Doku, use Sleep Powder!" Doku brought her wings together, then spread them apart, launching the powder to cover a large area.  
  
Everyone squinted into the cloud of powder, covering their faces so that it wouldn't effect them. There was a bit of a swirling from somewhere near the center, when suddenly Tyrogue shot up from behind Doku, landing on it's back and driving it to the ground.  
  
"Gekidoku! Get up this instant and use Psybeam!" Doku shook itself, struggling to knock off Tyrogue. As it moved, Tyrogue rolled off and landed on the spongy floor, curling into a ball.  
  
"Tyrogue, Tackle again!" Tyrogue shook feverishly, trying to climb to his feet.  
  
"Ranma! The poison is taking effect, and if she uses Psybeam, he's done for!"  
  
Ranma rubbed her eyes, concentrating. Gekidoku was some kind of huge moth, so she would need...bug spray? No, Nabiki had told her that her Pokémon had to win the battle. He would have to distract the thing somehow. What did moths like? Ranma pictured a moth eating a piece of cloth, a dead moth lying next to a box of moth balls, a group of moths slamming themselves into a lightbulb, a cat batting at moths as they flew around, just out of reach....  
  
Ranma shuddered, her eyes snapping open. Then it hit her. "Light!"  
  
Nabiki watched the Dustox take careful aim at her struggling victim knowing that the battlet was lost. "Yeah, light. That's great, Ranma"  
  
"No, light! Nabiki, light up! It'll come at us, and Tyrogue'll have time to get up!"  
  
Nabiki blinked, amazed. Just when she thought Ranma couldn't get any denser, a breakthrough! "Right!"  
  
Doku turned to the right, antennae quivering. A glow was slowly building as Nabiki allowed her energy to flow freely. Doku flew blindly at the light, wings beating rapidly.  
  
"Tyrogue! Come on, you can do it!" Tyrogue blearily looked at Ranma, who was radiating confidence from the brilliant idea of using light as a distraction. He nodded, and painfully climbed into a kneeling position, then to his feet.  
  
"Gekidoku! This is no time for games! Use Psybeam RIGHT NOW!" If the moth- like Pokémon was ignoring orders or simply couldn't hear was unknown, as it continued it's attack on Ranma's hand, which was blocking access to Nabiki while still letting the light seep through.  
  
"Tyrogue! Double Kick!" Tyrogue braced himself, then lashed out at Doku, two consecutive blow landing on it's back while Ranma side-stepped. Doku hung in the air for a moment before collapsing, unconscious.  
  
"Doku! My baby!" Kodachi flung herself across the room and onto the KOed Pokémon. "Doku...you need to rest now... Return to your Poké Ball...."  
  
"So, I guess we lifted the curse, then?" Nabiki cut off the energy flowing through her, and the glow quickly diminished.  
  
Kodachi put the ball away somewhere in her leotard, standing up and turning to the pair. "Yes, you have won. For now, anyway. I iwill/i exact my revenge on you, wait and see. I bid you adieu. WA HAHAAHAHAHA!" She disappeared into the darkness, an unexplained gust of wind blowing black rose petals back to them.  
  
"Well...that was fun....in a creepy, insane kind of way."  
  
bEnd Chapter One/b  
  
=Author's notes= Woo! I'm out of breath from that one... Huff.. Okay then! Why was Part Five so much longer than any of the others? Well, I don't know, really. Who cares? It took me about three hours to write this, with small interruptions every ten minutes or so. Just so that you all know, Gekidoku is a Japanese word meaning 'deadly poison'. Kodachi is known for using Sleep/Paralysis Powder on people and animals, and is always experimenting with poisons. She also has a pet crocodile named Midorikame. Now that FF.N is actually cooperating, I'm going to adjust the HTML in the first four parts. R&R, C&C, BSB, all that stuff. (Chesu- October 31, 03) bHAPPY HALLOWEEN!b 


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